Archive for the ‘Field Manual’ Category

I have never heard of anyone complaining of having too much time on their hands! Especially today’s woman. As a professional makeup artist in the film, television and live event industry, I work with actresses and models that are genetically gifted and they can afford the time to primp (with a pro’s help)! Most of us who live and work in the “real” world can’t afford to waste a minute or a buck (let alone afford a pro who will make us up every morning)!

That is why I believe that every woman needs a 5 Minute Face! What I mean by this is, a morning routine that requires very little time and effort, but you can rely on it to make you feel great and get you out the door fast.

In order to achieve a 5 Minute Face, you need the right products and I recommend keeping those products in your makeup bag at all times. You need 7 products: foundation, concealer, powder, cheek color, eye color, mascara, lipgloss. You could even get that down to 5 products if you use a tinted moisturizer with good coverage, which could eliminate the need for foundation and concealer, and your cheek/eye color could be used in both areas!

In addition to the products listed above, you should look for your cheek and eye colors in palette form. This will give you a choice of different shades to mix up and match to create variety in your routine and not always sport the same monochromatic look daily. Eye shadow colors can be used to line your eye and for brow filler (depending on the color). Another great tip is to try cream eye shadow or cheek stains. They blend easily and have great staying power, cutting down on touch ups during the day!

You should choose colors that flatter your skin tone and there are some colors that are universal to all, such as warm bronze cheek colors or matte vanilla, taupe or beige eye shadow. Chocolate brown eyeliner, nude lip colors and black mascara (unless you are very blonde then use brown mascara) are also flattering on most.

Great brushes are a must when applying your makeup on the go because blending is key to looking pulled together and perfect. There is nothing uglier than an unblended, harsh line of demarcation! Yuck! I also recommend investing in good sponges – those drugstore versions work fine, but you have to throw them away after one use. Try Alcone’s sponges, which you can wash a use more than once before discarding. In the long run they will save you money and they are wonderful for achieving blending perfection.

No matter if you are a stay-at-home mom, high-powered executive or a blue-collar workingwoman, a 5 Minute Face will give you confidence and self-esteem. You deserve to look and feel as beautiful as your favorite model or actress everyday. Take a little time for yourself, invest in yourself and take care of yourself – because “you’re worth it!”

We’re always talking about acquiring makeup, but in this post we’re talking about throwing it away. Not your new makeup – your expired makeup. Not only can expired cosmetics contain bacteria, they also perform poorly after an extended period of time. THROW IT AWAY!

Here is how to know when…

Lots of products now have whats called a PAO labeling system. PAO stands for “Period After Opening” and looks like an open jar of cream. You will also see a number and the letter “m” printed inside the POA image. That is the number of months the product is good for from the time you open it. The PAO is generally reliable but also has its exceptions and limitations; there is no way to take into consideration how each person uses, cleans, stores, or shares their products – all of those factors can significantly reduce shelf life. Companies have tried to make an educated guess with this number but you’ll have to be smart and pay close attention.

If anything smells weird, has changed color, or has developed an odd consistency or texture, then it is time to toss it – regardless of whether you have used more than a drop.

For products without a PAO, here is a general guideline:

Liquid and Cream Foundation: 2 years

Powder Foundation: 2 years

Concealer: 2 years

Powder Blush: 2 years

Cream Blush: 2 years

Lipstick: 12 to 18 months

Lipliner: 12 to 18 months

Eyeshadow: 2 years

Eyeliner Pencils: 12 -18 months

Mascara: 6 months

Now…Go out and get youself some brand new makeup – and designate a page in your planner for your monthly beauty inventory – you’ll never not know when something has expired.

In The Makeup Says: We all know that its not just wrinkles that make you look older; photoaging is to blame too. So we diligently stay out of the sun; until someone invites us on a beachy vacation.

With beachy vacations in mind, here Are 8 Ways, each with its own pros and cons, to take the spotlight off a spot:

Hydroquinone: The gold standard for topical skin lightening in the United States remains hydroquinone. This substance is controversial and has been removed from the OTC markets in Europe and Asia partially because it damages melanocytes (melanocytes make melanin). While hydroquinone can produce results, even the maximum concentration of hydroquinone (4%) will not lighten pigment that is deep in the skin. Current hydroquinone preparations are unable to reach the middle-to-deep dermis where post-inflammatory acne pigmentation may lie.

Mequinol. At present, mequinol is only available by prescription. It is unknown exactly how mequinol lightens skin, but it is a competitive inhibitor in the formation of melanin precursors. It does not damage the melanocyte like hydroquinone. However, prescription skin lighteners containing mequinol also contain 0.01% tretinoin as a penetration enhancer; vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid; and ascorbyl palmitate, to enhance skin lightening.

Retinoids. Many dermatologists combine hydroquinone with prescription tretinoin to improve skin-lightening results. Tretinoin has an effect on skin pigmentation as seen by a decrease in freckling. Although this effect is more dramatic with topical prescription tretinoin, topical OTC retinol has been thought to provide similar effects. Although Retinoids can help lighten dark spots, they also make the skin more vulnerable to new photoaging, so diligent use of sunscreen is necessary.

Ascorbic Acid. Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is used in OTC pigment-lightening formulations. By itself, low-concentration ascorbic acid is a poor skin-lightening agent, and is often combined with hydroquinone. In higher concentrations, ascorbic acid can be a strong skin irritant due to its low pH, but may induce pigment-lightening by providing skin peeling in lighter-skinned individuals. High concentrations of ascorbic acid must be avoided in people of color, because the irritation paradoxically will darken the skin.

Licorice extract. Licorice extracts are used in many OTC products to lighten skin. It must be applied to the skin in a dose of 1 g/day for four weeks in order to see a clinical result. This may not be practical in OTC formulations because of the expense of such a high concentration. Because the licorice extract is an anti-inflammatory, unlike with hydroquinone, retinoids and ascorbic acid, where irritation is the dose-limiting problem.

Alpha lipoic acid. Alpha lipoic acid is found in some OTC pigment-lightening preparations. However, its ability to lighten skin is doubtful because it is a large molecule with questionable penetration.

Kojic acid. Kojic acid is one of the most popular skin-lightening agents found globally in OTC skin-lightening creams. Some studies indicate that kojic acid is equivalent to hydroquinone in pigment-lightening results. The problem with kojic acid is again the ability to penetrate the skin and reach its target. It is possible that penetration-enhancers might overcome some of this difficulty; however, damage to the skin barrier and product irritation are common side effects.

Arbutin. Arbutin is obtained from the leaves of the lingonberry and other related plants. Arbutin is not toxic to melanocytes and is used in a variety of pigment-lightening preparations in Japan at concentrations of 3%. Higher concentrations are more efficacious than lower concentrations, but a paradoxical pigment-darkening may occur due to skin irritation. Synthetic versions of arbutin, such as deoxyarbutin, may offer enhanced efficacy.

When it comes to contouring, many pros have issued the warning “Do not try this at home.” But by using three shades of blush, you can get a super soft sculpt to your cheeks; no scary brown powders necessary.

Start by selecting your arsenal. You’ll need three complementary blushes: your favorite blush, a slightly darker version of your favorite blush, and a lighter version of your favorite blush.

3) With a blending brush, buff along the area where cheek blush and contouring blush meet.

4) Finish with your lightest blush as a highlight on the highest point of your cheekbones

In The Makeup Says: With celebrities “popping” their cheekbones all over the place and looking amazing, we thought “Do cheekbones exist only on runways and red carpets? Surely Not!” So we tried every sculpting trick in the book, and found true love (and true perfection) with this three complimentary shades of blush technique. Check out Cover Girl Instant Cheekbones for total inspiration… we like it in peach perfection and refined rose.

And we think Blush Makeup Artist Mentor Charlie Green has one of them – “know your references”

So, starting with one of Hollywood’s favorites – the 1940s, In The Makeup will be adding the best of beauty’s “references” to our Field Manual.

For a classic 1940s face, follow the steps below. For a modern twist, try a cat-eye (like you see in this photo).

Complexion: For 1940s skin, use a good face powder that matches your skin, and gives it a nice rosy glow.

Cheeks: A true 1940s cheek uses rouge, applied at the high point of the cheekbone. Popular rouge colors were reds, bright pinks, and bright roses.

Lips: Use a pencil to slightly exaggerate your top lip, and then paint in your favorite shade of red. Bright reds, cherry reds, pinkish reds, and orange reds were popular. Regardless of the shade, your lips should look full and soft.

Eyes: Apply a skin-toned eyeshadow from lash line to brow bone, and a muted gray or brown in the crease. Next, use a thin eyeliner pencil in black or dark brown to darken the lash line. Finish with dark brown or black mascara.

Eyebrows: Keep your brows natural in thickness, and use a pencil or brow powder to define your arch. Keep brows groomed with an eyebrow gel or wax.

In The Makeup Says: Don’t forget to wear some silk, some diamonds, and a head full of Veronica Lake curls. You’ll walk out of your swanky dressing room looking like a Hollywood Goddess. If you want to smell like a goddess too, wear In White by J. Dell Pozo.

In the quest to conceal, groom, contour, bronze, blush, lengthen lashes, perfect skin, and create total goddess-ness, it is necessary to learn the “no-makeup” makeup that is used to make flawless faces for High Definition Photography and Film. If you like what you see in a 6x or 10x magnified mirror, then you can stop reading and perhaps lie down for a nap. If you don’t, then read on to start practicing the rules of HD Beauty.

Enter The Airbrush….
Using the art style of pointillism, custom foundation shot through an airbrush pen, disperses a fine mist to the face, producing the most natural result in both skin tone and texture.The airbrush sprays tiny dots or pixels of makeup at a low psi through a customized compressor. Going on, it feels like a soft whisper of air. It dries to a matte finish on contact with the skin and is water-resistant.

The tiny pixels of foundation give the same effect as what the digital camera sees. A person’s own skin tone comes through, giving a natural appearance.

The technology is neither terribly expensive nor terribly inexpensive. Start-up kits consisting of a compressor, airbrush pen, and hose cost about $400 and up. A bottle of foundation costs about $20, with numerous applications per bottle.

Three top airbrush systems: Dinair, Temptu Body Art and Air Craft.

Whether it’s digital photography, footage shot in hi-def and transferred to film, or live broadcast, airbrush makeup is the way forward.

In The Makeup Says: If you don’t have access to airbrush makeup, check out Sephora’s High Definition picks.

Eyes

For mascara, we LOVE the new Sumptuous mascara by Estee Lauder. It lifts and plumps lashes into big lushness that is all lightness and flirtatious curl.

Keep eye shadows in neutral shades.

Cheeks

Stick to soft shades of blush, and keep the application light.

LIPS

High Def beauty requires perfectly smooth lips. Chapped, cracked, peeling lips will show; so make sure to exfoliate lips on a regular basis. Brushing lips with a baby toothbrush coated in Vaseline will do the trick.

Highlighting & Contouring

Who doesn’t love contouring and highlighting? But be careful if you are going to be in any Black & White digital photography – it shows LOTS of contouring and highlighting.

In The Makeup Says: Check your makeup in a 10x magnifying mirror. If it looks flawless, you’re ready for High-Def. If you’re a makeup artist and want to check your work, look at the makeup you’ve applied through a magnifying lens.

Have pencils, powders, waxes, and gels got your brows in a furrow? Whether you desire the fine and slender, or the laden and lavish, brow-how will smooth your countenance.

The Brow Pencil

Pencils go on the skin, filling in where hair is meant to be. Be careful not to pencil actual hairs. This can overload the brows, just like when you put too much styling product in your hair. Work in light strokes to fill in any gaps, warming the tip a little on the back of the hand if necessary.

Powder coats hairs and kind of fluffs the brows up. A true brow powder can be the softest, most natural looking brow makeup. A good brow powder should be harder than regular eye shadow powders, ensuring that it can be applied in fine strokes resembling brow hairs. It should also be matte. Shimmery hairs are a dead give-away for made up brows.

The Brow Gel
Clear gel sets hairs; tinted gel set hairs and adds a touch of color. Brow gels are ideal if you already have a good brow and just need to keep them “brushed” and in place for the day. Clear gel is also used over brow powder or brow pencil. Use a good quality gel and wipe the wand first to get rid of excess – Flakes aren’t pretty.

Brow waxes set the brow just like a gel does, but they go one step beyond a gel in that they add thickness and density to existing hairs. Some add shine and some are matte. Some are colorless and others are pigmented. Make-up artists love them!

Billy: Mariah Carey to Tommy Mottola in New York City and Pink’s destination wedding in Mexico

The Wedding Girl: How would you describe the wedding day for the bride?

Billy: The wedding day is any woman’s biggest red carpet event. You probably will never have more professional photographs taken of you that are seen over and over in a photo album. Her goal should be to look the best she has ever looked without taking chances on new makeup ideas. The most beautiful thing is to be yourself.

The Wedding Girl: What do you mean by “taking chances on new makeup ideas”?

Billy: Now is not the time to experiment on any “new looks”. For example, if a woman has never worn false lashes or does not typically wear them, avoid wearing them on your wedding day. Keep your “look” consistent to how your friends and family typically see you and just take it up a notch. It’s you at your most beautiful.

The Wedding Girl: What advice would you give brides pre-wedding?

Billy: Plan well! Any skin work (i.e. facials, peels, microderm) should be done at least two weeks before the wedding. Likewise, eyebrow waxing and shaping should be done a few days before the wedding up to one week in advance. Pluck stray hairs the day before and let the skin rest the day of the wedding. I would also advise brides to have a trial makeup and hair consultation. It’s best for both the makeup artist/stylist as well as the brides. With a little planning and preparation, there will be no surprises.

The Wedding Girl: Ok, let’s get to the fun stuff- makeup! What are your thoughts on foundation?Billy: Foundation is meant to even out skin. I like skin to look like skin and not covered up by heavy foundation. The ultimate goal is to create flawless skin with as little foundation as possible. I like to “spot conceal” with a little foundation and my #7 or #5 brush. These brushes give you just the right amount of brush to dab on foundation where needed.

The Wedding Girl: What about cheek color?Billy: It’s so important to have a pretty cheek color. Shades of pink and peach are best on the apple of the cheek. Warmer shades tend to be very drab in photos. You want to look fresh and clean. Now is not the time to contour the cheek. Simply blend the color into the apple of the cheek.

The Wedding Girl: What about lips?Billy: I think women underestimate the power of their own lip color. I often get emails about the lipcolors celebrities are wearing on the red carpet. Often times, I line the lip and fill it in with a liner that is close to the natural lip tone of the woman’s lips. This defines her lip shape and I fill it in with clear gloss. Light hits the bow of the lip and the raised area and gives lips an instant fullness. It’s the quickest lip plumper!

The Wedding Girl: Nice tip. What about the eyes?Billy: A nice soft shadow on the top and liner to define the eyes and lots of mascara. I love to curl the lash with an eyelash curler and apply a few coats of black mascara. My favorite is Loreal Voluminous Mascara in blackest black. And always in waterproof!

The Wedding Girl: What do you suggest brides carry in their touch-up bag?Billy: I would definitely carry a lipcolor and/or gloss with lipbrush, blush, blotting papers and maybe a touch of foundation.

The Wedding Girl: Any other thoughts on her wedding look?Billy: oh, yes. If the bride is wearing a strapless, sleeveless, or dress with a plunging neckline, hydrate the skin on the body before the wedding with a moisturizer with a little shimmer.

Billy: Weddings are a performance where everyone needs to look their best. This includes the bridal party and mothers of the bride and groom. Consistency throughout the bridal party is the key. That doesn’t mean that everyone wears the same color lipstick but rather they keep the same “look”. The bridal party will be in many of your pictures and I recommend treating your girlfriends to having their makeup done as well. Brides typically give gifts to their attendants so build this into the budget for gifts. It’s a relaxing experience and assures that the bridal party will look their best for your pictures.

Source: Marry Me At The Beach (everything for a wedding on the emerald coast)

Laser Removal is the most common method of tattoo removal. Depending on the tattoo, it can take from 1-10 sessions, each costing in the range of $250-$850 per session, with some possibility of scarring. Intense Pulsed LightTherapy, or IPL, is said to be less painful than laser therapy, and more effective, resulting in less total treatment sessions. The bad news is that it also carries a heftier price tag – one clinic offering a price of $10 per pulse.

So what to do? Cover your tattoo.

Here’s How:

Step One: Products like Tattoo Camo or Veil Cover Cream are specially designed to be able to cover tattoos. These concealers are much denser than concealers that are designed to look good on your face. So, invest in a product designed to do the job and, of course, make sure you select a shade that matches your skin.

Step Two: Use a makeup sponge (or your fingers) to dab concealer over the tattoo. Let the first layer dry and then apply another layer. Continue the process of applying one coat of concealer at a time, letting it dry before applying another coat. The secret is in layering your concealer and letting each coat dry a bit before adding the next layer.

Step Three: Once you’ve reached full coverage, you’ll want to make the layers of concealer look like your own skin. First, set the concealer with translucent powder. Once its been set, blend blend blend the edges of the makeup into your skin with a damp makeup sponge. If it still looks heavy, try a light sweep of a subtle highlighting powder.

Patience is key.

In The Makeup Says: Do not attempt to cover a tattoo until it is fully healed. A fresh tattoo, or even one that is over a week old, still requires great care. Introducing make-up, or even unnecessary touching of a new tattoo can irritate the area or even lead to infection.